SCHOOLS across Worcestershire have been praised for driving up standards – as it emerged the county is starting to out-perform similar areas.

A new report has been published showing considerable improvements at both GCSE and primary school level over a two-year period.

Last year, 77 per cent of all Worcestershire pupils attained level four or above at key stage two tests, a six per cent rise on 2010.

Although it is still below the national average of 80 per cent, it is above the 75 per cent average managed by 10 other counties with similar characteristics.

And for GCSE students, 61 per cent earned the national benchmark of five or more at grade C or above, a 12 per cent rise over the same time period.

The data shows how the county is outstripping rival areas for improvement.

The findings have compared Worcestershire with Dorset, Essex, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, Kent, Leicestershire, Shropshire, Warwickshire, West Sussex and Wiltshire as they are deemed to have similar characteristics.

Current figures show 77 per cent of pupils reach level four for maths and English combined – a seven per cent surge in Worcestershire. A graph detailing the rivals’ im-provements show the average rise is five per cent elsewhere, to 76 per cent.

In Worcestershire, the percentage of pupils earning Level 3 in maths is 71 per cent, a rate which has increased 10 per cent on 2010 and now sits above the rival average of 68 per cent.

The data was discussed during a meeting of Worcestershire County Council’s cabinet.

Councillor Jane Potter, the cabinet member for education, said: “We’ve had a difficult time with reduced funding but against that backdrop we’ve had considerable success.”

Councillor Adrian Hardman, the leader, said: “We are now starting to get ahead of our statistical rival counties, which is very noteworthy.

“There’s been relentless improvement made in maths, in particular, which is very pleasing.”

Some 81 per cent of schools in the county are now graded as good or better by Ofsted.

That figure compares with just 66 per cent as recently as last August 2012, with a series of successful inspections taking place since then.

Nationally, 76 per cent of students got five GCSEs at grade C or above last year.